Exploring the Association between Childhood Asthma and Abnormal Spermatozoa: An Analysis Using Mendelian Randomization.

BACKGROUND

Childhood asthma ranks among the prevailing chronic respiratory conditions affecting a significant number of individuals. The long-term hypoxic state and chronic inflammatory state caused by asthma could be linked with spermatozoa apoptosis. However, the correlation between childhood asthma and abnormal spermatozoa is currently unknown.

METHODS

In our study, the method of two-sample Mendelian randomization (2SMR) was used by searching an appropriate European population genome-wide association studies (GWAS) database of childhood asthma and abnormal spermatozoa from the Ieu Open GWAS Project database. Sixteen related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were screened as instrumental variables (IV). Subsequently, we employ various statistical methods including inverse variance weighting (IVW), weighted median method (WME), MR-Egger regression, Simple mode, and Weighted mode to investigate the causal link between childhood asthma and the development of abnormal spermatozoa.

RESULTS

Based on IVW results, childhood asthma is not an independent risk factor for abnormal sperm formation (=0.14). Other statistical models such as WME, MR-Egger regression, Simple mode, and weighted mode also showed the same results. Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis and heterogeneity test were conducted and no horizontal pleiotropy was found.

CONCLUSION

There was no causal relationship between childhood asthma and abnormal spermatozoa formation at the genetic level.